THE ET CETERA CHRONICLES - Help! Santa Claus Is On Fire!

 

     Most of us always wondered why Santa Claus doesn't catch on fire when he crawls down our chimneys.  We know that his red suit is incombustible.  The  same doesn't go for Santa's helpers, you know the guys who dress like Kris Kringle just before Christmas while the real Santa is busy at his toy factory at the North Pole.

The Sun Beams of the First Baptist Church in Dublin were enjoying their annual Christmas party.  The children looked forward all year long to the time when Santa came to visit with them and hand out presents from under the Christmas tree.  In those days, many Christmas trees were still lit with candles, not the electric kind but the real fire burning ones.  Milo Smith, billed as one of the most highly esteemed young men of the city, was going about his  business in his Santa costume giving out goodies to the kiddies. 

All of sudden, Smith's coat tails brushed against the old tannenbaum.  His red coat was engulfed with flames.  The children screamed and ran, yelling "Santa Claus is on fire!" Smith, now a blazing candle himself, fell to the ground while excited parents rushed to extinguish the previously jolly St. Nicholas.   Physicians sent Smith home to rest for a couple of days in bed, believing that he would recover from the second degree burns which were confined to his hands and legs.  (Macon Telegraph, 12-18-1920)